Catching up with a few rides

These 2 Rides: 68.7 miles
Month: 774.7 miles
2011: 4,144.7 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 10,264.4 miles

After the hot 200k on Wednesday, I just didn’t have the gumption to get out and ride on Thursday. I took my bike in to the shop for a new chain and cassette. I learned that the previous bike shop had installed a 9 speed cassette onto my bike even though I had a 10 speed shifter (that they sold me). I had the proper 10 speed cassette installed. Now my front ring isn’t shifting and I’ve not yet taken the time to fix that properly, so the two rides have been ridden in the large chain ring exclusively. (I was out of town Friday – Sunday, and also did not ride.)

Monday it was good to get back out on the bike and ride with the SPP. We had a relatively easy pace, except for my push along B&A Blvd. I accomplished a goal on the last hill coming up out of Round Bay. I held above 21 mph all the way up the hill. Keeping the focus on getting faster up that hill has helped improve my speed the past month. Today (Tuesday), I was 4th rider in the paceline, and held around 23 mph up the same hill. That feels pretty good.

Today’s ride was much faster than yesterday’s. It was Terrible Tuesday, and the five riders gradually increased the pace. Jim K. & I took the easier hill in Round Bay, then waited for the other 3 riders to catch up. When they did, we all dashed down the trail together, exceeding 30 mph on the trail near the southern end. At the end of 20 miles this morning (including a gentle 3 mile ride to get to the Rusty Bridge), I had an average of 18.7 mph and one 5 mile “lap”of 22.3 mph average. These are some nice numbers to see. I’ll have to remember to hit my lap timer as we push off from the Rusty Bridge on these faster mornings to see what speeds we are really riding.

After the fast part of the ride I continued on to do the Airport Loop. I didn’t have much energy left in the legs after the fast morning so I simply took it easy.

I had hopes of achieving the SPP mileage award for July, but it looks like Mike also has that goal firmly in sight and he is shooting for a 1000 mile month also. It looks like I’ll meet my 900 mile goal, but I will fall short of 1000 miles. (Now, am I being truthful here or am I giving Mike a head fake for the mileage challenge? Only time will tell. I did seriously consider not posting a ride report just to keep him in the dark about my miles. We are close on distance for July, with him a few miles ahead of me right now.)